Based on the joint analysis of the seismic regime parameters, such as anomalies of seismic energy release, b-value, seismic activity A10, approaches to assess the state of the block-seismic medium are proposed. The method validation was done for the example of preparation and development of seismic activity in 2008-2011 in the Central part of the Baikal rift, during which there were 2 strong M5.3 earthquakes. It was found that within 2 years before the strong Maximihinskoye Earthquake of 2008 in the Earth's crust of the epicentral region there is a transformation from softening to strengthening (consolidation) of the block medium. At the same time, in the neighboring region (the area of the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula), the opposite nature of the changes is observed.

Seismotectonic deformations in the Middle America Trench and their features in the area of preparation of the Chiapas earthquake, М W =8.2, 08 September 2017, were determined using the data on 2244 focal mechanisms of earthquakes for the period of 1977-2017. The distribution of seismicity with depth was studied in detail. The decrease in the depth of the Benioff zone in the north-western subduction segments and the increase in the south-eastern segments is associated with the age of the subducting parts of the Cocos plate and the angle of their immersion. The latter mechanism can also explain the presence of earthquakes with normal focal mechanism on the oceanic uplift in the south-eastern segments of the subduction zone and their absence in the north-western ones. In general, the typical character of subduction deformations has a number of features in the Middle America Trench. The predominance of shortening by horizontal components and elongation by vertical ones at depths up to 35 km is replaced by the transitional type with mosaic distribution of deformations of different signs in the depth range of 36-70 km. Even lower, in the depth range of 70-105 km, the type of deformation changes to the opposite with respect to the upper horizon. The Chiapas earthquake occurred on the border of regions with different types of deformation, which indicates softening of the block's medium to the west of the hypocenter and its hardening to the east. Such a state of the lithospheric medium may indicate the presence of a deformation shadow zone in the Chiapas earthquake preparation area.

Based on the data on earthquake focal mechanisms, we estimated seismotectonic deformation related to the 2010 Мw 8.8 Maule earthquake and analyzed the deformation at different depths. In the main seismic dislocation of the Maule earthquake and the northern area, the deformation field to a depth of 70 km is typical of subduction zones as evidenced by shortening in the direction of the oceanic plate subduction. Below a depth of 70 km, the deformation pattern changes sharply to horizontal stretching. After the main seismic event, as well as before it, nearlatitudinal shortening was dominant in the focal zone, while the region of the main seismic dislocations was surrounded by separate areas of near-latitudinal stretching, which is an opposite type of deformation. We conducted a detailed analysis of the seismotectonic deformations in the oceanic uplift area to the west of the deep-water trough and identified local zones of near-latitudinal stretching near the southern and northern boundaries of the future Maule earthquake zone. Detecting such zones can provide important data for early forecasting of regions wherein strong subduction-related earthquakes are being prepared.

The characteristics of horizontal displacements in fault zones of the Altai-Sayan mountain region are revealed with use of the earthquake focal mechanisms data. Left-lateral strike-slips are characteristic for the Bogdo, Southern Tannuol and Sayan-Tuva faults, and for the eastern part of the Bollnay fault. Right-lateral strikeslip is characteristic for the Koktokay fault.